


Priceless Artifact

by DebbieF



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen, Involves a downsized approx. 5-6 year old Daniel Jackson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-21
Updated: 2013-07-21
Packaged: 2017-12-20 22:32:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/892664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DebbieF/pseuds/DebbieF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yup... you guessed it. Shrunk again!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Priceless Artifact

Klaxons sounded throughout the SGC. General Landry ran to the  
control room. He was then informed that it was SG-1's IDC.  
  
"It's only been an hour since they left. Something must of gone  
wrong with the mission. I only hope it's nothing serious. Walter,  
open the Iris," ordered the General.  
  
"Yes Sir," came the reply.  
  
Col. Cameron Mitchell led the way down the ramp. He was followed  
closely by Col. Samantha Carter with Teal'c holding up the rear.  
  
At the moment though, Teal'c had his hands full, literally. He was  
trying to calm down a small child that he held in his arms. The  
child was kicking and screaming up a storm. Crying out for his mama  
and papa.  
  
"Put me down, you're a bad person. I don't know you. I'm not suppose  
to go with strangers. Where's mama and papa?" was the mantra the  
child wailed.  
  
"Calm down little one, all will be well," rumbled Teal'c to his  
charge.  
  
"How do you know _all will be well_ , when I don't even know what  
happened?" the boy asked tearfully.  
  
Teal'c was about to answer the child's question when Gen. Landry  
entered the embarkment room.  
  
"What the devil is going on?" the General asked SG-1.  
  
"Uh, we actually don't know ourselves, sir," was the wry reply from  
Col. Mitchell.  
  
"Where's Dr. Jackson, Col. Mitchell?" a very vexed General asked as  
he looked at the boy squirming in Teal'c's massive arms.  
  
"That sir is kind of complicated at the moment," Col. Carter  
answered him instead.  
  
Hanging his head down, the General said, "Of course it is. How  
complicated are we talking about here. And who's this boy?" Landry  
indicated the still wriggling mass that Teal'c was trying to hold.  
  
Teal'c stepped up to the General and said, "This boy is Daniel  
Jackson, Gen. Landry."  
  
"Holy crap! You have got to be kidding me," the General said in  
disbelief. But seeing the solemn faces of his flagship team, knew it  
to be true.  
  
"Report to the infirmary, then we'll debrief in one hour," Landry  
ordered.  
  
They then all trudged off for their regular physicals plus one  
surprise package for the doc.  
  
++++  
  
Later, in the infirmary, Dr. Carolyn Lam observed her small patient  
and made some mental notes. At having heard footsteps behind her,  
she turned to be greeted by her father the General.  
  
"Well, Carolyn, is this boy really Dr. Jackson," he asked.  
  
Sighing she just looked at her father and told him news he didn't  
want to hear. "All the tests came back conclusive and his DNA is a  
perfect match. This is indeed our Dr. Jackson. But right now he's a  
scared little boy, approximate age between 5 & 6 years. And he won't  
let anyone near him, including SG-1."  
  
"I've got a very important phone call to make then," he said and  
left abruptly, looking like the weight of the world was on his  
shoulders.  
  
++++  
  
"Gen. O'Neill Sir, there's an important call for you on line one.  
It's from the Cheyenne Mountain Complex," came his secretary's voice  
over the intercom.  
  
"Thanks Kitty, I got it. O'Neill here, yeah Hank, what's the problem  
now?"  
  
"Jack, it's Dr. Jackson," Hank told his friend.  
  
"Is the kid hurt?" Hearing no response on the other end, he  
continued. "That bad, huh. I'll be there as soon as I can get the  
next plane outta here," O'Neill said as he put the receiver down.  
  
Rushing out of his office, O'Neill told Kitty, Cancel all my  
appointments for now. I'll reschedule after I get a handle on what's  
happening at the mountain."  
  
"Will do Sir," Kitty responded.  
  
++++  
  
After his arrival at the mountain complex, Gen. O'Neill was rushed  
to Gen. Landry's office. Greetings taken care of, they got down to  
business. "Okay Hank, give me the bad news in all it's glorious  
detail."  
  
"Jack, I think I'd rather show you. I really don't know how this  
happened as of yet," said Hank.  
  
"Okaaay," Jack drawled out. "I'm not gonna like this, am I Hank?"  
  
"No Jack you're not and neither do I for that matter," Hank said as  
he led Jack to the infirmary.  
  
Once there, Hank proceeded to take Jack to a guarded section of the  
infirmary.  
  
"Daniel's over here then Hank?" questioned Jack.  
  
"Uh huh. But there's something you need to now first. He won't let  
anyone near him... and that includes SG-1," Hank informed him.  
  
Jack braced himself for what he didn't know yet. But when he walked  
over and pulled the curtain aside, his displeasure could be heard  
throughout the mountain.  
  
"Forcryinoutloud!"  
  
The little body in the bed was all curled up in a fetal position. He  
looked up at his _loud_ intruder and shouted, "GO AWAY!"  
  
"Hey kiddo, remember me?" Jack said in a non-threatening voice.  
  
At the negative shake of the little head, Jack carried on.  
  
"That's a pity. I thought I was pretty memorable myself," he said as  
he tried to coax the frightened child into speaking to him.  
  
Two huge and distrustful blue eyes just blinked at him in mute  
appeal. "I don't know you and I want my mama and papa right Now!"  
Daniel demanded.  
  
"So I guess that means no then," sighing Jack hung his head in  
defeat.  
  
Patting Daniel's feet, he told him, "Hang in there sport. I'll be  
back before you know it."  
  
Marching over to Hank, Jack snarled out, "What the hell happened?"  
  
Hank then explained as much as he knew of what had taken place on SG-  
1's last mission.  
  
"That's it! You're telling me that Carter, Teal'c and Mitchell  
weren't watching Daniel's six. That's what this amounts to ya know.  
For none of them to have an explanation for the kid's shrinkage  
problem. I taught them better than that. Well except Mitchell of  
course. Where are they now?" a thoroughly angered Jack growled.  
  
"I have them waiting to debrief you Jack."  
  
"Fine then. The sooner we find out how Daniel got shrunk, the sooner  
we can unshrink him," Jack told Hank.  
  
++++  
  
Entering the room to begin the debrief, Gen. O'Neill observed the  
solemn faces before him. SG-1 stood at attention at his entrance.  
  
"At ease. Now what in damnation happened down on that planet to turn  
Daniel into a child?" All he got for an answer were blank  
expressions from the team. "I'm very disappointed in all of you.  
Especially you two," O'Neill said indicating Carter and  
Teal'c. "Mitchell you're the new kid on the block, but I thought,  
with all your training, you'd be able to reign in Daniel. After  
having lost Daniel too many times to count, I took it for granted  
that you'd all be watching his six… up close and personal. It was bad  
enough we lost him for a whole year and I'm just as much at fault  
for that than anybody. I forgot that the kid's not a soldier. He got  
so good at it, I took it for granted he'd follow orders and not his  
heart. But no, my kid had to go and save that whole freakin' planet,  
us included. Now, one of you tell me what happened down there!" said  
O'Neill rather forcefully.  
  
Mitchell and Carter just hung their heads in shame not making eye  
contact with the General at all.  
  
"We were most distracted. Col. Mitchell and Col. Carter went over to  
get naquada readings. I should have been watching Daniel Jackson  
better. But I heard a sound nearby and went to see what the  
disturbance was. I am most displeased with myself. For this left  
Daniel Jackson unguarded and totally by himself when this incident  
occurred," Teal'c explained.  
  
"Okay, Mitchell and Carter were doing their thing. You went off to  
check out the area and Daniel was where?" O'Neill asked.  
  
"Daniel went to a nearby rock formation. He said there was Ancient  
writings on it. He was still in our sights and we figured he'd be  
okay," Carter said with a guilty expression on her face.  
  
"Next thing we know sir, is having heard Dr. Jackson crying out in  
either fright or pain. We all ran back and found him reduced to a  
child," Mitchell finished telling the General.  
  
"I already talked this over with Landry. You're all to go back to  
that damn planet and find out what caused this to happen. I want  
answers people! Daniel is NOT, I repeat NOT, going to remain a  
child," snarled O'Neill as he got up and left, slamming the door  
shut behind him.  
  
SG-1 didn't even have a chance to stand at attention at the  
General's abrupt departure.  
  
"I think he's pissed at us," Mitchell told the others.  
  
"Gee Cam, whatever gave you that idea?" said Sam in a cold voice.  
  
"We should depart immediately. I will not feel right till we find  
the answer to Daniel Jackson's plight," Teal'c told them.  
  
Departing with heavy hearts, they retrieved the necessary equipment  
and took along SG-3 to help them in their search.  
  
++++  
  
Meanwhile, back in the infirmary, a very unsuccessful General was  
having difficulty getting Daniel to eat.  
  
"Aw come on, just a little bit, for me, please," wheedled Jack.  
  
The little boy looked down at the plate of food before him. He  
started to pick up a french fry, but decided against it and placed  
it back on his plate.  
  
Frustrated the General looked over at Dr. Lam.  
  
"I'll have to start an IV soon, if he continues this behavior. He  
hasn't eaten in over 24 hours. I don't want to wait much longer or  
he'll get ill," said Dr. Lam in agitation over this whole fiasco.  
  
"Give me a little longer with him. I think I'm close to a  
breakthrough," said O'Neill.  
  
Just as the General said this, a loud crash was heard. Turning in  
Daniel's direction, they see the kid's place of food on the floor.  
  
"Or not," finished O'Neill in disgust. "Damn it kid! Food's for  
eating, not slopping up the floor with."  
  
"Language please," Daniel innocently reminded the unhappy man.  
  
"Excuse me! What did you say?" asked a surprised Jack.  
  
"You heard me. You're forever using bad language. I always tried to  
curb you of it," the little boy answered back.  
  
"Danny," Jack said hopefully. "See, I knew you were in there kid.  
Come on out to play now with the big boys. I know you can. Use some  
of that Jackson moxy and access your memories."  
  
Seeing the little face all scrunched up on concentration, hurt  
Jack's heart. He gathered the small child in his arms. "Ya know what  
Danny boy. Even if you can't dredge up your previous memories,  
you're my very own _priceless artifact_. Small as a bed bug or big as  
you were… you pack quite a wallop little guy," he finished with a  
kiss to the top of Danny's head.  
  
Snuggled safe in his hero's arms, memories start to come back to the  
little one. "Jack, I do remember some stuff now. I was so frightened  
after it happened. I think the process temporarily blocked my  
memories. They're slowly coming back."  
  
"Do you remember what you touched sport?"  
  
"I didn't touch anything Jack!" the youngster said, a bit indignant  
at the accusation.  
  
"Alrighty then. I see that's a touchy subject. No pun intended  
buddy. Let's try again and see what memories are hidden in that  
noggin of yours," Jack pushed for an answer as he tapped gently on  
Danny's head.  
  
"I approached the rock formation with the Ancient writings on them.  
I was reading the translation out loud. Wham, next thing I knew, I  
was littleized," came the amazed answer.  
  
"Yes, and in between, something else must of happened," encouraged  
Jack.  
  
"I think I remember hearing a voice telling me that _they had waited_  
 _millennia for one such as I_ ," Danny said with wonder in his voice.  
  
"Of course you heard voices, you always end up hearing voices that  
nobody else can. I swear Danny boy, you need a host of guardian  
angels on your six. Of all the planets you had to gate too," Jack  
huffed out and left the rest unsaid.  
  
"I'm sorry Jack. I didn't even touch anything this time," Danny said  
while bending down to pick at a piece of lint on his blanket.  
  
Jack tilted the little one's face back up to his. Looked him right  
in the eye and said, "Let's not play the blame game. But if it's  
anyone's fault... it's your team."  
  
Danny started to protest in defense of his team, when Jack held  
up _the finger_.  
  
"Uh, uh, none of that now," Jack gently scolded.  
  
Danny closed his mouth tight at Jack's waving finger.  
  
"You know I'm right. They're lucky Landry and I don't put reprimands  
in their records for this. Not Teal'c's of course, since he never  
formally joined our military. But he felt my displeasure as well."  
  
"Jack, you're acting like I'm a child who didn't know the protocols."  
  
"Well excuse me! You look like a little runt to me. What would you  
call it?" said an exasperated Jack.  
  
"A genuine mistake," the kid said while he laid his hand on top of  
Jack's and gave it a gentle squeeze.  
  
"It's hard to believe that all this just boils down to you being at  
the wrong place at the wrong time," sighed Jack.  
  
"Take me back there. I think I can communicate with it and show them  
they made a huge mistake," Danny insisted.  
  
"Is this an educated guess or one of your intuitive leaps of logic  
buddy?"  
  
"Both Jack."  
  
"Oy! Alright, I'll tell Gen. Landry that you and I are going to join  
SG-1."  
  
"Jack."  
  
"Yeah, Danny?"  
  
"If we'd had more time. This could have been fun for us. You know… we  
could of hung out with each other like little brother and big  
brother."  
  
"Or father and son," Jack finished for him.  
  
"That too," Danny said in a subdued voice.  
  
"Unfortunately, we can't afford to wait. I'm worried that something  
else could happen and we won't be able to gate back out to that  
planet again. You never know what's gonna happen and I don't want to  
play around with your life. I said it before and I'll say it again.  
You're my _priceless little artifact_ , just as if I dug you up myself  
and put you in a glass showcase, taking you out occasionally to show  
you off," Jack said passionately.  
  
"Wow, that's a lot of words Jack, even for you," said a pleased as  
punch Danny.  
  
Embarrassed at his display of emotions, Jack simply quirked a smile  
that was pure O'Neill and gave a slight shrug of his shoulders.  
  
"Look junior, I'll tell Doctor Lam what we're going to do and square  
everything with Landry. Then we are so outta here," Jack said as he  
took his leave.  
  
++++  
  
As Walter dialed up the planet, Jack and Danny waited at the foot of  
the ramp, along with Gen. Landry.  
  
"Good luck to both of you," Gen. Landry told them while thinking to  
himself that they're going to need it.  
  
"See you later General, hopefully I'll come back big again," Daniel  
told him as he waved goodbye.  
  
"We'll keep the light on Dr. Jackson," General Landry said as he  
watched the very small boy start to enter the wormhole.  
  
Daniel turned around once more, before putting his foot through the  
Stargate. He then saw everyone in the control room giving him a  
thumb's up sign. He returned the gesture, just as he placed his  
small foot in the wormhole.  
  
Having run up to the Stargate, after seeing Gen. O'Neill and Daniel  
come through, Carter started to babble about having found a way to  
interface with the formation.  
  
"There will be no _facing_ the formation yet till I say so. And if  
it involves touching, it's a no-go as far as I'm concerned," O'Neill  
said as he saw her crestfallen expression at his words.  
  
"But Jack...." Danny tried to butt in.  
  
Jack held up _the finger_ again and Danny shut his trap.  
  
"Does it say General anywhere on my uniform?"  
  
"Actually Jack," Danny barely got out.  
  
"Shut up kiddo," he kindly told the child.  
  
"Carter, I'm sure there are better ways for you to try and  
communicate with it that doesn't involve touching. Are we clear on  
that?" asked the General.  
  
"Crystal Sir," answered a dismayed Carter.  
  
Approaching the formation, Jack looked at it and announced, "It's a rock!"  
  
"Of course it's a rock. What did you expect?" asked Danny.  
  
"Oh I don't know. Something more unusual perhaps. Look, it shrunk  
you. So I thought, well not sure exactly what I thought. Just didn't  
expect it to look so, so...." Jack trailed off at a loss for words.  
  
"Ordinary. That's what you meant Jack," guessed Danny.  
  
"Yep, that's it," agreed Jack.  
  
Daniel then roamed around to look over every square inch of the  
formation. Turning to encompass Jack and SG-1, Daniel told  
them, "I'm pretty sure I know how to communicate with them now."  
  
"Pretty sure… isn't damn sure in my book! Look Danny, I told you no  
guess work. You're either absolutely positive it can be accomplished  
or this whole shindig is a bust," Jack berated the boy.  
  
A little stunned at seeing how upset his friend is, Danny decided  
that the situation has gotten out of hand and he was going to put a  
stop to it the only way he knew.  
  
As soon as Jack's back was turned, Danny made his move. Tiny fingers  
danced over the writings on the rock. It was a sequence of patterns  
the boy programmed in the rock formation. Just then the rock started  
to glow.  
  
"Dammit Daniel! Some things never change. I am so gonna tan that  
little shrunken butt of yours when we get back to the SGC," said an  
enraged Jack.  
  
"No you're not Jack. Because by that time, I'll be big again!"  
shouted Danny.  
  
"Says you!" Jack shouted back.  
  
As their shouting match died down, voices could be heard coming from  
the rock formation.  
  
"I can't make it out, sir," Carter stated.  
  
"Indeed, nor can I, O'Neill," Teal'c added.  
  
General O'Neill then looked over at Mitchell.  
  
"What! Oh, I definitely don't know what the hell language that is!  
I'm just a down home Southern boy myself. It's all Greek to me," was  
Mitchell's reply.  
  
O'Neill shook his head in defeat, just as Daniel's voice could be  
heard in conversation with the entity.  
  
Daniel sounded like the proverbial chatterbox. His conversation  
lasted about ten minutes or so.  
  
"Oh Danny."  
  
"Yes Jack."  
  
"Watcha talking about and, by the way, what language were you  
talking in? Or is that too much to ask?" remarked the disgruntled  
colonel.  
  
"I'm surprised you didn't recognize it. I was speaking in Ancient."  
  
"I kinda thought something sounded familiar. But it was all just a  
vague memory now," Jack told him while having observed the glowing  
rock before him.  
  
"So as Kowalski used to say, _what did we just learn?_ " mimicked Jack.  
  
"They told me what to do to be big again. They understood that this  
was a mistake and not meant to happen yet," the child explained.  
  
"I don't even want to start on the word _yet_. No, sir, I don't want  
to even hear about it. What happens now?" questioned Jack.  
  
"Now, I get to be myself again. First I have to change into the robe  
we brought along. Can't have me be like the Hulk and have my clothes  
ripped off."  
  
"Why not?" Jack said looking amused.  
  
"Behave."  
  
"I don't have to."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I'm a General, that's why. Rank has its privileges."  
  
"I don't even want to know."  
  
"Get changed smart mouth," said a happy Jack.  
  
"Sir, Yes Sir," Danny said with a smart salute.  
  
"I am so gonna...."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Tan my little shrunken butt. I've heard it all  
before. I'm going, I'm going.  
  
Once Daniel changed, he positioned himself by the rock formation and  
then depressed a series of panels that magically appeared before  
him. At once the rock began to glow along with Daniel.  
  
"So help me Danny, if you turn glowy and join the DeSala fan club  
again...." Jack left the rest unsaid.  
  
The light intensified to a brilliant brightness. The General and SG-  
1 had to cover their eyes or risk going blind. After the glow faded,  
there stood their teammate and friend, restored to his correct age.  
  
They all immediately ran over to Daniel's side. Upon seeing that his  
friend was, once again, all in one piece, General O'Neill started  
patting Daniel down.  
  
Daniel tried to grab Jack's hands. "Stop it Jack!"  
  
"What? I'm making sure your solid and not a glowy figment of my, I  
mean, our imaginations. I got a little worried there. Thought you  
were going back to Ancientland again."  
  
"Jack, I'm touched. Truly."  
  
"Yeah, in the head, Jackson. But enjoy the moment while it lasts,  
Danny boy." Jack said as he looked at his watch. "Yep, moments over.  
Let's go home gang."  
  
Daniel turned once more to look at the rock, while Jack observed him.  
  
Daniel then looked back at Jack.  
  
Holding up _that finger_ of his again Jack said, "Uh, uh, don't even  
think about it."  
  
The general then threw his arm around the younger man's  
shoulder. "Kid, I got this cabin...."  
  
  
  



End file.
